Potato-planter.



No. 744,984. PATENTED NOV. 24. 1903.

H. J. SPRINGER.

POTATO PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented November 24, 1905;

HENRY J. SPRINGER, OF EDWARDSVILLE, ILLINOIS.

POTATO PLA NTER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 744,984, dated November24, 1903. Application filed June 5,1903. SerlalNo.160,191. (NomodelJcity of Edwardsville, State of Illinois, have in- Vented certain new anduseful Improvements in Potato-Planters, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a machine for planting potatoes in rows anddropping them therein at uniform spaces.

The invention consists of features of novelty hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a side elevation of my machine.

Fig. II is a top view of the seedbox of the ma chine. Fig. III is avertical section taken centrally through the seedbox and the dropmechanism working therein. Fig. IV is a horizontal section taken on lineIV IV, Fig. III. Fig. V is a perspective view of the furrow-opening shoeof the machine.

1 designates one of the two ground-wheels of my machine, whichareconnected by an axle, to which is fixed a sprocketwheel 2, that receivesan endless chain 3.

4 is the planter-frame, that extends forwardly from the ground-wheelaxle.

5 designates cross-bars secured to the planter-frajme 4 and united bystraps 6. (See Fig. I.

7 is a chute secured to the rear cross-bar 5 and extending downwardlytherefrom.

8 designates a furrow-opening shoe having a horizontal runner, the upperforward end of which is secured to the planter-frame 4 and the rear endof which is bifurcated to form a pair of wings 9 of moldboard shape,that are outturned and extend outwardly and upwardly from the horizontalrunner, between which the lower end of the chute 7 rests, as seen inFigs. I and V. By bifurcating the shoe 8 and making the wings at therear end thereof of the shape shown and described I provide for athorough loosening of the soil and production of a furrow in the soilover which the planter travels \l-shaped and into which theconducting-chute 7 drops the potatoes directly immediately after thefurrow is opened, so that there is no opportunity for the soil closinginto the furrow before potatoes are deposited therein and so that thepotatoes will be covered at a proper depth effectually.

1O designates a seedbox, which is mounted on the cross-bars 5 and isprovided with a main bottom 11, containing a single outletorifice 12,located directly above the chute 7.

13 designates a driven shaft journaled in boXes carried by the straps 6,mounted on the cross-bars 5. This shaft bears a sprocketwheel 14, towhich the endless chain 3 leads, to provide for the rotation of saidshaft upon the rotation of the sprocket-wheel 2, carried by theground-wheel axle of the planter. Fixed to the driven shaft 13 is abeveled pinion 15, that meshes with a beveled pinion 16, fixed to anupright shaft 17, which extends vertically through the seedbox 10 andthe upper end of which is journaled in a spider III.)

19 designates a false bottom fixed to the upright shaft 17 in theseedbox at an elevation above the main bottom 11. This false bottom isprovided with a plurality of apertures 20, that provide communicationbetween the upper portion of the seedbox and the space between the falsebottom and the main bottom of said box. 21 is a conical deflector fixedto the upright shaft 17 and the false bottom 19, which divergesdownwardly and outwardly to said false bottom to direct the potatoes inthe seedbox to the apertures in said false bottom.

22 designates a cam-block rigidly secured to the main bottom of theseedbox and provided in its upper side with a cam-groove 23, (see Figs.III and IV,) that is elongated at 24 at the point thereof nearest to theoutletorifioe 12 in the main bottom of the seedbox.

25 designates wings that are fixed to the false bottom 19 at its underside adjacent to the apertures 20 therein, so as to be held stationarywith respect to said false bottom.

26 designates swinging wings pivoted to the stationary wings 25 by pins27, seated therein. Each of the swinging wings is provided with an ear28, bearing a pin 29.

30 designates bell-crank levers pivoted at 31 to the false bottom of theseedbox 10. These bell-crank levers are of a number corresponding to theseries of swinging wings 26, and their outer ends contain slots 32,which receive the pins 29, carried by the swinging wing-ears 28. Seatedin the inner ends of the bell-crank levers 30 are pins 33, which operatein the cam-groove 23.

34 designates a deflector-plate which operates through a slot 10 in theseedbox-wall and extends into the seedbox at a point immediately abovethe false bottom 19 and in line with the outlet-orifice 12 in theseedboxbottom. (See Figs. II and III.) The pivotal end of thedeflector-plate 34c is positioned exterior of the seedbox and is fixedto a pivotrod 35, which is journaled in brackets 36, secured to theseedbox.

37 is a coil-spring surrounding the pivot rod 35 and having one endresting against the seedbox, (see Fig. IV,) while the opposite end hasengagement with the deflector-plate 34, as seen in Figs. II and III.

In the practical use of my planter the potatoes are placed in theseedbox, and on being deposited therein they descend onto the falsebottom 19 and partly through the apertures 20 in said false bottom intopositions between the wings 25 and 26, carried by the false bottom, andwhich at the time the potatoes pass therein are in unspread conditionduring the part of their travel aside from the location of theoutlet-orifice 12 in the main bottom of the seedbox. When the potatoesoccupy the seedbox, they are constantly deflected into the circular areaoccupied by the plurality of apertures in the false bottom by the cone21, surmounting said false bottom. During the travel of the planter inplanting operation the shaft 13 is constantly rotated by means of itsgearing connection to the ground-wheel axle, and therefore like movementis continually imparted to the upright shaft 17, through the medium ofwhich the dropping mechanism in the seedbox is actuated. As said uprightshaft rotates it carries therewith the false bottom 19, the cone 21,wings 25 and 26, and bell-crank levers 30, connected to said falsebottom. While the wings 25 and 26 are making the circuit within theseedbox during the rotation of the false bottom 19 aside from thelocation of the outlet-orifice 12 in the main bottom of the seedbox, theswinging wings 26 remain in unspread positions to receive a specifiedamount of potatoes to be dropped into the ground for each hill in therow to be planted. As each pair of wings approaches the outlet-orifice12 the pin 33 in the corresponding bell-crank lever rides onto theelongated projection of the cam 24;, and the bell -crank lever isthereby rocked to swing the wing 26, to which it is connected, therebyenlarging the space between the pair of wings and permitting the readyescape of the potatoes previously confined between them through theoutlet-orifice 12 to descend therefrom through the chute 7 into thefurrow previously made by the shoe 8. As each pair of wings 25 and 26approaches the outlet-orifice during the rotation of the false bottom 19any potatoes that are projecting upwardly through the correspondingaperture 20 in the false bottom are deflected out of said aperture bythe deflector-plate 34:, which yields under the control of the spring 37sufficiently to prevent cutting of the potatoes thereby. Suchdeflector-plate also serves to prevent the potatoes in the seedbox frompassing directly out of said box through the aperture in the falsebottom that is momentarily in registration with the outlet-orifice. Thedeflector-plate may have a straight edge, so that it will not injure thepotatoes that come in contact therewith, or it may be pro-. vided with acutting edge that will cut the potatoes where they project above itspath of movement, thereby dividing the portion beneath the false bottomfrom the portion projecting above it.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a potato-planter, the combination ofaseedbox having a bottom provided with an outlet-orifice, an aperturedfalse bottom rotatably mounted in said seedbox, means for r0- tatingsaid false bottom, wings carried by said false bottom beneath theapertures therein, and means for spreading said wings during the periodof their travel past the outlet-orifice in the seedbox-bottom,substantially as set forth.

2. In a potato-planter, the combination of a seedbox having a bottomprovided with an outlet-orifice, an apertured false bottom rotatablymounted in said seedbox, means for rotating said false bottom, wingsfixed to said false bottom beneath the apertures therein, swinging wingspivoted to said fixed wings, and means for rocking said swinging wingsduring the period of their travel past the outlet-orifice in theseedbox-bottom, substantially as set forth.

3. In a potato-planter, the combination of a seedbox having a bottomprovided with an outlet-orifice, an apertured false bottom rotatablymounted in said seedbox, means for rotating said false bottom, wingsfixed to said false bottom beneath the apertures therein, swinging Wingspivoted to said fix'ed wings, levers pivoted to said false bottom andhaving engagement with said swinging wings, and a cam fixed to saidseedbox-bottom to receive and actuate said levers for the purpose ofrocking said swinging wings, substantially as set forth.

4. In a potato-planter, the combination of a seedbox having a bottomprovided with an outlet-orifice, an apertured false bottom rotatablymounted in said seedbox, means for rotating said false bottom, meanscarried by said false bottom, for conveying the potatoes depositedthrough the apertures therein to said outlet-orifice, and aspring-controlled deverging Wings of moldboard shape extendingfleetor-plate surmonnting said false bottom upwardly and outwardly fromsaid runner, above the location of said outlet-orifice, subsubstantiallyas set forth. stantially as set forth.

5 5. The combination with a potato-planter,

HENRY J. SPRINGER. In presence of i of a shoe having ahorizontally-extending run- OTTO J. SPRINGER, ner and haying its rearend divided into di- GUs SOEHLKE.

